Improved baby-tender



., UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. s. BRoWrd'oF NEW-YORK, n. Y.,y f

iMPPtoi/ED BABY-TENDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42.7115, dated May 17, 1864.

To all whom it may concern: v v I Be it known that'I, 'J.` S.'BRo wN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have ini vented certain Improvementsin Baby-Tending Machines; andv I do "herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the-same, reference being hadto the annexed drawings,` whichi'orm part of this speeitication, in which-'-` f l Figure lis a side elevation of thc machine or apparatus, exhibiting the mechanism in the interior. Fig. 2 shows the machine as seen from the bottom. Fig. 3 shows the same used as an ottoman; Fig.4 shows the same used as -a crib, andFig. 5 shows parts of the apparachair, couch, and hobby-horse by means of the,`

intervention of two vibrating levers supported on asuitable frame; and my invention consists in the construction and modes of arranging the said chair, couch, or horse with respect to and of connecting the same with such levers and spring; also, in arranging and combining the said levers and spring with an inclosing-case, forming the sustaining frame of the machine; and also in the peculiar construction and ar rangement of the parts, whereby the apparatus is rendered convertible, as hereinafter speciied` and adapted to the purposes of an ottoman, a crib, a nursery-chair, a couch, a hobby-horse, and ababy-jumper.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the construction and method ot' using the same.

Referring to the drawings annexed, wherein the marks ot' reference corresl ond in all the iigures, A is a suitable box or case serving as a frame to sustain the several parts of the machine. At one end of said case two levers are pivoted, C D; the forms thereof are further shown in Fig. 2. One ot' said levers, O, has an arm, E, permanently atlixed thereto, to the lower extremity ot' which is attached one end ot a spring, F, the other end being attached to a Windlass, P, by means ot' a cord, E, Figs. 3 and 4. The object of said levers, jointly considered, is to guide and sustain a standard, G, which is pivoted to the outer extremities otl said levers, and projecting above the top of the case, is surmounted by a crossbar, H,

patents.

supporting a chair or couch, I. Practically, the lever G and arm E are one, and serve to' transm utel the motion ofthe levers, which isvup and down or vertical at their outer ends,into a horizontal motion, and vthusact on the spring Such spring is arranged horizontally for the purpose otgaining length sufficient to give the required elasticity and space for the proper amount of play. The lever D acts in conjunction With the lever C in guiding and hold- .ing the standard G in a vertical position, with the object of maintaining said couch, chair,`&c., at all times in a corresponding horizontal plane. p The cross-bar H, above referred to, has arms,"N, (seen in end view in Fig. 1,) reaching ontffront and rear to support the chair, couch, &c., and has fixed at its midlength a stem, 1, which stem tits nicely into the.

en'd of the standard G,'the latter havin g a deep' socket for that purpose. This permits the chair or other seat to be turned completely around on' the standard 'as a'center'. One end of said cross-bar has a hookt'orm, 3, and the other end has a lipv turned'up, 4, and drilled to receive'a small pin, 5. The chair is secured on the cross-bar by slippin; the back edge of the seat under the hook and passing the pin 5 through the lip and into the hole in the front edge of the seat, corresponding with that in the lip. The chair is provided with a back, K, and a table, J, both of which are adjustable in position for the purpose of converting the chair into acradle or couch, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The mode ot' holding the table and back of the chair in the position shown is not material, and need not, therefore, be here described.

When used as a cradle or couch, as above, motion may be given itby an attendant,through the aid of a foot-piece, O. Said foot-piece is fitted in a frame, S, for the purpose, at the back end ot' the lever D, and a side view is given of sail frame and ftot liet-e in Fig. 1. The pedal O does not form a part of this invention, having been described in one ot' my former lt is introduced in one of the figures merely to show that it may be applied if desired. It is, when used, attached at its outer end by a rod or cord to the extremity of one of the levers, G D, or to the edge of the chair.

WVhen used, as shown in 'ull lines in Fig. 1, and operated by the child occupying it, the chair is so adjusted in height from the top of the case A as to have the childs feet rest faiily on said top. Such adjustment is ett'ected by turning the windlass I?. When turned one way, the cord E is Wound up, the spring and the end of arm E are carried to the right, and the chair is elevated. When turned the other way, the chair is lowered. In the above posi'- tion it forms the baby-jumper.

. To avoid the necessity of using more than one spring, a means is provided of adaptin g the acting power or elasticity of the spring to any given weight. This is done by a numberof notches in the arm E. By moving the loop'b ofthe spring F into a lower notch the acting power or elasticity ot' the spring is adapted to a child of heavy weight, and by placing said loop in an upper notch it is adapted to alight weight.

The seatof the chair has an opening through it, and the chair may be used as a nurserychair, as shown in Fig. 5. Here it is' supported on a drawer, L, which, when not thus or otherwise used,V iits in one end ot the case A, as shown in Fig. 1, and is a convenient recepiacle for toys and other articles.

The hobby-horse is readily substituted in place of the couch or chair, it having a stem, 1, projecting from its body, which stem tits the standard G when the cross bar H is removed, permitting the rider to turn or revolve and operate the horse the same as the jumper.

When the chair is not required to be used ii connection with the case and its mechanlsm, said chair, with the cross-bar H and stern 1, may(being connected) be removed together by lifting the chair, and thus withdrawing the stem 1 from its socketin the standard G. Then, by turning the windlass P, the standard may be so lewe ed as to fall entirely below the top of the case A and within the same. Such case now becomes an ottoman, and presents the appearance shown in` Fig. 3. In Fig. 4 the case is seen surrounded by a railing, R. Said railing is attached to the case by pins 9, Xed in blocks y, (dotted,) made fast tothe inside of the railing, setting into sockets in the case; or pins are passed through the railing into the sides of the case. The object of the railing is to adapt the case A-to be used as a crib, and the mode of attaching it to the case is not, therefore, material. The railing may, it' desired, be made in sections, so that it may be taken apart when laid aside, and may be otherwise modified.

I do not confine myself to the forms and construction ot' all the parts preciselyas specified, but shall vary the same as circumstances and occasion require while retaining the essen tial elements of the invention, as herein set forth.

Having thus described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl The use ofthe levers C and D, arranged with respect to each other, and att-ached to a fra'ne or case, substantially as specified, for the purpose ot' maintaining a chair, couch, babyj umper, and horse in a horizontal position while moving up and down, essentially als described, and in combination therewith the standard G, pivoted to said levers and constructed with a socket receiving a stem, 1. and cross-bar El, as set forth, for the purpose of supporting the chair, couch, and horse above the case and permitting them to revolve.-

v J. S. BROWN.

Witnesses:

S. T. MoDoUGALL, y E. H. SMITH. 

